A Father and two Sons complete 24 year goal to hike Colorado 14ers

From 1991 to 2015, a father and two sons complete all 54 Colorado 14ers

Mountain men, the Witte Family shares their expertise in a new book

Theresa Rose

Beginning in 1991, a father and two sons resolved to climb all 54 of Colorado’s 14ers, achieving their goal in July of 2015. Eager to share their experiences, they have published a book about their adventures and their love of the sport but also with the intent to provide climbers with information about packing, equipment, route finding and staying safe in fierce weather and exposure.

Surviving the Colorado 14ers: A Family’s Journey from Quandary to Capitol tells of a search and rescue, lightning strikes, blizzards, whiteouts, and turnarounds as well as inspiring summits and spectacular views.

Much of the purpose of the book is to help inform a growing 14er community in Colorado about the dangers of these peaks as the death toll continues to rise even as the enthusiasm for the sport increases. There were four deaths in 2017 alone.

Denny Witte, the father of the group, will be moving to Buena Vista this year to live out his retirement with this wife. David Witte lives in Little Rock Arkansas and Mark Witte lives in Monroe, Michigan.